The Summer I Found You, by Jolene Perry Review

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry
Published By: Albert Whitman & Company on March 1, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover Edition
Source: Borrowed
My Rating: 

All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction. Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?

       

My first reaction when seeing the cover

                I was so excited to read this book. I mean, who wouldn't be when spotting a summery cover when it's like -4 degrees outside? This is a definite seasonal read, I must tell you. And now when looking back at the outcome, I'm very pleased because I did manage to shed some tears of happiness.

                First thoughts: DAMN WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE. Jolene Perry has written such a freaking awesome story that got me fanning myself because of the feels. The feels were honestly outrageous. What this book did to me was so different and I wish that there was more buzz. MORE PEOPLE NEED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS BOOK AND I WILL BE THE PERSON TO DO IT. Jolene Perry is the new Sarah Dessen, except her stories are more from the heart and deal with such tough subjects.

                  This all begins when Kate's love of her life suddenly breaks up with her on a random day with no explanation why. And then she sees him with a mystery girl, and this obviously breaks her heart. Soon after, Kate meets Aidan, an older guy who lost his arm while fighting in the military. He has lost the job that took his life and made it amazing, but he now guesses that Kate's made it the best ever. But what happens when you have a medical condition such as diabetes and you don't tell the person you love the most?

           You better tell them. Kate didn't and well... In the end at the same time, she became a fighter, and stronger than you'd ever expect her to become. Aidan made her stronger. :)

              I must admit that I complained of my boredom in the beginning through the middle. The book seemed to have such a huge resemblance to While He Was Away by Karen Schreck and I was all, "Why wasn't this unique?!" but as I continued reading, things happened that made me scream and squeal and fangirl—all of the feels that makes a reading experience even greater.

              Aidan was... 

                SO HOT, LIKE UGH. EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM WAS PERFECT.

• His personality. He was so sweet EEE.
• HIM
• HIM
• HIM
• HIS VOICE

                EVERYTHING—DO YOU GET IT? I just don't know how else to describe his perfection because he was there throughout for Kate and they were perfect. NOT A DOUCHEBAG WHATSOEVER.

                The concept didn't seem to originally sound like a deep gorgeous romance story. But that's what it turned out to become! The scenes were... interesting and I'm the type who loves picture-perfect romance, so I obviously kept on reading forever and ever until the book was ever. I found myself taking it slow and reading it on my own basis because I was so intrigued. WHY DID AIDAN DO THIS TO ME?!

                 

                 

         Picture-perfect romance, AIDAN, AIDAN, a deep story, touching moments, and did I say Aidan—this book was fantastic. I wasn't able to let it go and I still imagine what would happen next because Jolene Perry is one of the best writers of chick-lit fiction that I've read this year. I NEED MORE! 

Review: Since Last Summer, by Joanna Philbin

Since Last Summer (Rules of Summer #2), by Joanna Philbin

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: June 3, 2014, by Poppy

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Rory McShane should be excited to spend the summer in East Hampton with Connor Rule, her generous, smart, cute boyfriend. After all, Rory's no longer the hired help at the Rule family mansion on the beach, and she and Connor have made it through a year of long-distance dating. But now, in the months leading up to college, Rory can't help but wonder if she really belongs in Connor's world.

Isabel Rule is still trying to get over Mike, the devastatingly sexy surfer who broke her heart last summer. Enter Evan, an aspiring filmmaker who's kind, funny, and crushing on Isabel. He'd be the perfect summer fling -- so why can't she seem to forget about Mike?

Set against a backdrop buzzing with the rich, the famous, and the wannabe rich and famous, Since Last Summer, a companion novel to Rules of Summer, is the perfect beach read.

Review:

  Another book in this series? Really?

  It wasn't needed. The previous and first book ended off the perfect way for a good summer contemporary read! And this one took two years to be written. Meh. I already forgot who the characters were in the series. Thank goodness Joanna gave us a recap.

   This book was okay. I had some problems with it, but it overall was enjoyable, coming from this great author. 

    This book takes place right from where the first book left us off... well a year later. Rory is back in the Hamptons for a summer where she's the guest, since she is Connor's girlfriend and Isabel's best friend. Time is ticking, and Rory's beginning to wonder if it's working out between Connor and her, the first boy she's really loved. Isabel still can't forget about Mike, but when she meets Evan, she falls head over heels for him instantly, with some backtrack thoughts still nearing her down. How will their summer end?

      The big question that was sorted through in this book was--Who do these chicks really love? That's all that's really surrounding the reader's mind, at least, mine. I really think that Joanna was trying to create some plot twists and surprises, but none of those really came out as shocking. And I didn't expect them to. This is just a plain Mary-Jane summer contemporary read that you can read beside the pool with loud screaming kids behind you and while you sip a plain old Coke. It was a very easy read and none of it seemed to be a big deal.  So overall, the plot was okay, but really nothing special. 

       The characters were really what annoyed me. My hate for Rory was unbelievable. 

        I never really liked her in the first book, but now my disliking has gone extreme to a whole other level. She was selfish and didn't give a crap about anyone except her and her love life. She kissed Connor's ass the whole time through, and when he broke up with her, she didn't even care. She just acted like he was sad but she went to Amelia's (who she doesn't really know) house to hide and pretend that she was sad. She was a cold, heartless brat.

        Now Isabel was the character I just adored. She was badass and wasn't afraid to be afraid. Bad things were coming her way, but she dealt with them strongly and appropriately. I just loved that girl. She's a definite character that you could look up to.

         And then I got a different liking for another character... Evan.

           YUM. No other words needed.

         I'm silently hoping that this won't become a trilogy, because it doesn't need to be. It definitely should've stayed as a standalone, but it was enjoyable either way. The plot was good, and I liked what happened in the end.

Burning, by Elana K. Arnold

Burning, by Elana K. Arnold

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Chick-lit

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Publication: June 11, 2013, by Delacorte Press

Format: Hardcover Edition (Borrowed)






Goodreads Summary: Ben: Having just graduated from high school, Ben is set to leave Gypsum, Nevada. It's good timing since the gypsum mine that is the lifeblood of the area is closing, shutting the whole town down with it. Ben is lucky: he's headed to San Diego, where he's got a track scholarship at the University of California. But his best friends, Pete and Hog Boy, don't have college to look forward to, so to make them happy, Ben goes with them to check out the hot chick parked on the side of Highway 447.  

Lala: She and her Gypsy family earn money by telling fortunes. Some customers choose Tarot cards; others have their palms read. The thousands of people attending the nearby Burning Man festival spend lots of cash--especially as Lala gives uncanny readings. But lately Lala's been questioning whether there might be more to life than her upcoming arranged marriage. And the day she reads Ben's cards is the day that everything changes for her. . . and for him.

Review:

  Burning is a true summer-love romance. From the moment I picked the book, I knew that it would be the perfect summer read. Just look at the cover! 

   I've never read a gypsy book before. Elana K. Arnold has definitely introduced something completely new to me. A gypsy girl. A small-town boy. Star-crossed lovers. A beautiful romance. An amazing, thrilling summer. That's basically what the plot is all about, summed up in 5 short statements. 

   Lala and her Gypsy family come to Nevada for the summer to continue telling fortunes and making a living. She has an arranged marriage to a man that she never and never will love, and all she wants is change, and to get the get the heck out of her family's hands. When she meets small-town boy Ben, who's spending his last summer before university in his home that he's known all his life, everything suddenly changes. They both fall in love, despite their different ways of life, and have to make sacrifices to make everything work. Is it just a fling?

    

     It's not. The romance between Lala and Ben wasn't a fling, it was something far more special and beautiful. They were in love, and love doesn't come that easily. Bala (my ship name for them) had such a strong romance that hardly anyone's can compare to. From a matter of weeks, they learnt to understand each other completely despite everything that's going on with their families. The relationship they had was not only a romance, but a complete understanding and friendship. They didn't love each other just for the excitement and hunger, they loved each other because of love. You'd think that you cannot understand this type of relationship because of the matter that it is put in, but it's so easy to. Their love gave me the feels. *dreams*

    The concept of this book was fresh, unique, and summery. If you're looking for something related to Sarah Dessen's books, then this book is for you. Elana K. Arnold has created the next Sarah Dessen-related book. I keep thinking "Don't Stop Believin" about this story. "Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world..." But in ways, it's kind of the opposite. Ben is the small-town boy, and Lala comes from the ways of the city. They're not supposed to be together, but fate helped them along the way.

      When beginning this book, I had mixed expectations of what it could become. A possible 3.5 star rated book because of its cheesiness and predictability was my biggest guess. And from the beginning, that's where the book took off to be. The beginning was very narrow-sided and not strong and captivating. Until 100 pages, I was getting bored. And also, there was insta-love. *pukes* They basically fell in love at first sight, and that's unreal, in my opinion. But put that aside, and you have an amazing novel. From there, the plot took off. It became so captivating, and my squealing feels went out of control. When predicting the ending, I had a whole other idea of what was to come.

        In ways, the book was a masterpiece. But what I really liked about it was that it wasn't perfect. Imperfection is a strong thing, and it helps us realize that the story was more real than anything. This sounds very much like a true story, and I'd believe it if someone'd just tell me it verbally.

        

         I really had a total love relationship with the characters, especially because of their imperfection. Ben was a total heartthrob, and I can see him being in every YA romance story and totally making it awesome. Ugh, I just loved him too much, and it's very difficult to explain my feels in his case. :) But all I can say is that he made my heart skip a beat. 

           Lala was just a total fun and witty female protagonist. She was a rebel, and sick and tired of the Gypsy ways. All she wanted was to be free and to have a new chance at life because her arranged marriage and tradition would just ruin everything. We usually don't get protagonists like that, willing to do anything to have change.

           Of course, I loved the whole Gypsy aspect of the book, and I can tell that the subject means a lot to the author because she wrote about everything with such understanding passion. It was so unique to learn about that, and it was another of my favourite things about this book!

            The last thing that I wanted to mention was the ending. EHMAGERD. I don't know how to put this into words, but it SHOCKED ME. I don't want to spoil anything on here, so what I'll do is make you highlight it if you want to see the spoiler. *grins* WHY WOULD LALA NOT WANT TO BE WITH BEN? LIKE SHE WANTED HIM AND HER TO BE TOGETHER ALL ALONG, AND NOW THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS BASICALLY DONE, all because she wants to be on her ow. Meh. It hurts me as well. And imagine how devastated Ben must be.

              Overall, this book was amazing. I recommend it to any chick-lit lover, young or old. The romance is strong and beautiful, and so are the relatable real characters. Go for it.

Top Ten Tuesday #1: Top Ten ASAP Summer Reads I Need To Devour

   Top 10 Tuesday is a meme by Broke and Bookish, hosted each Tuesday, where bloggers list their top 10 in the chosen topic of the week.

 

     I'm so excited to do this! ^_^

     1. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

        Bam. The name and cover explains it all. But seriously, I feel like I'm one of the last people on Earth to read this. 

     2. A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

         I'm not normally into medieval high fantasy reads, but this show and book has been so raved about, that I feel like I just need to join the fandom. :)

      3. Midnight Thief, by Livia Blackburne

        I have a physical ARC of this, so those always need to be read. :)

       4. Fire and Flood, by Victoria Scott

  

        I don't know why, but I feel like I have to read this, even though I didn't like Victoria Scott's Collector trilogy too much.

       5. Nil, by Lynne Matson

          That captivating summary, though. :O

         6. The Jewel, by Amy Ewing

    

           Allure. One word. Explains my feelings.

         7. In a Handful of Dust, by Mindy McGinnis

  

           The first book was just amazing, and the sequel sounds good. Not too sure about putting it in Lynn's kid's POV, though.

8. Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend, by Katie Finn

           Summer. Cute. Contemporary. Everything I'm looking forward for in a YA summer read.

           

    9. Somewhere We Only Know, by Cheyanne Young

  This idea is so beautiful and comes from a tragedy that means a lot to the author. I love Chey's books and this is surely going to be something special and unordinary.

           10. Rough Waters, by Nikki Godwin

   

    Loved the first heart-warming, gorgeous contemporary read, now ready for the second. Nikki Godwin is sure to please, as always!

                  -Michelle xoxo